Official Ionic CLI for scaffolding, serving, building, and running Ionic apps with Capacitor or Cordova.
$npm install -g @ionic/cli
Agent Compatibility
JSON Output
Agent Skill
MCP Support
AI Analysis
Ionic CLI is the official command surface for creating and working on Ionic app projects. It covers project scaffolding, local dev servers, web builds, framework generators, native run flows, and Ionic Appflow-linked operations.
What It Enables
- Scaffold new Ionic apps or initialize existing repos, then generate framework-specific pages, components, or features inside supported projects.
- Serve and build Ionic web assets, then hand off to Capacitor or Cordova commands to run apps on iOS or Android devices or open native IDEs.
- Link projects to Ionic Appflow, manage project config and integrations, and inspect local environment or account-related details from the terminal.
Agent Fit
- Commands are explicit and backed by project files such as
ionic.config.json, which makes inspect, change, and verify loops workable inside an existing repo. - JSON output is real but narrow, mostly on help, config, and inspection paths rather than the main
start,serve,build, or native run workflows. - Best when an agent is already inside an Ionic project with Node, platform tooling, and credentials configured; greenfield setup still leans on prompts and browser login.
Caveats
- Many high-value commands depend on local mobile SDKs, emulators, browsers, or a connected device, so unattended runs are environment-sensitive.
- Appflow-linked features such as login, project linking, and SSH key management require account auth and can fall back to interactive confirmation unless preconfigured.